Synthetic fibers a major source of microplastic pollution in the ocean

Teile:
13.01.2021 15:23
Kategorie: News

This is how our clothing harms the oceans

From winter sweaters to pairs of socks- every time we wash our clothes, small synthetic fibers come off. This contributes significantly to the pollution of the oceans with microplastics.

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According to a study by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, 35% of the microplastics in the ocean come from fiber abrasion during textile washing, making it the number one source of microplastics in marine pollution.

The microscopic fibers, detach from clothing during the wash cycle. Washing machines cannot capture the synthetic fibers or filter them out of the water. (However, there is evidence that washing powder increases abrasion compared to liquid detergent.) Consequently, they end up in wastewater and, with the wastewater, in sewage treatment plants. Even there, the tiny plastic particles can hardly be filtered out and therefore end up in rivers and later as microplastics in the oceans.

According to a study by the British Plymouth University, an average wash at 30-40 degrees can release around 138,000 fibers into the water from polyester-cotton blended fabrics, around 496,000 fibers from pure polyester and 730,000 fibers from acrylic fabrics.

The microparticles are only 0.012 to 0.018 millimeters thick and 5 to 8 millimeters long. They have now been found in the most remote parts of the world's oceans, from the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific, to the Arctic, the tiny chunks of plastic spread out without being stopped.

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Peter Ross, head of the research group on microplastics at the University of British Columbia, recommends more commitment from the textile industry to produce clothing from which fewer components can break away. Governments could ensure that wastewater treatment plants are equipped with more modern technology, and private households could install filters capable of capturing at least some of the microplastics.

According to a study published in Grand View Research, never before has so much plastic been produced as in the last two decades. According to the study, in 2025, an increase of up to four percent per year can be expected.

But each individual can do a small part to reduce the pollution of the oceans. After all, it is our everyday clothing that pollutes the waters every time we wash it.

When we humans, wear clothes made of synthetic materials or blended fabrics, we are all, quite harshly, adding to the poisoning of rivers, lakes and oceans. But we can prevent this by making sure we buy clothes, bedding and towels made from natural fibers such as cotton, linen, hemp, wool and silk.